Fountain pen with positioning means for the ink sac thereof



` INVENTOR H. C. KLAGGES FOUNTAIN PEN WITH POSITIONING vMEANS FOR THE INK SAC THEREOF Filed April 9, 1946 @www March 17 Patented Mar. 17, 1953l 2,631,569 I C E FOUNTAIN PEN WITH POSITIONING MEANSv FOR THE INK SACYTIJIERIEIOFV Y Henry C. Klagges, Haddon Township, Camden County, N. J., assignor to The Esterbrook Pen Company, Camden, N. J .,a corporation of New Jersey Application April 9, 1946, Serial No. 660,708

4 Claims.

My invention relates to fountain pens and similar writing implements in which ink-containing sacs are employed.v

In a fountain pen of this type, the sac is lled with ink by the manipulation of a lever carried by the barrel of the fountain pen which actuates a presser-bar into and out of engagement with the sac. When not in use, the presser-bar is normally maintained out of action by means of a spring operatively connected therewith; which spring also maintains the lever in substantial alignment with the fountain pen barrel.v

An important object of my invention is to lsecure uniform alignment of the parts of the filling mechanism. including the ink-sac, relatively to each other.

And a further object of my invention is to provide means for maintaining the ink-sac in substantially concentric relation with respect to the barrel of the fountain pen in order to'prevent lateral displacement of such sac when engaged by the presser-bar; such means comprising a liner or cradle support underlying the collapsible portion of the ink-sac and disposed between the same and the inner wall of the barrel.

For the purpose of positioning the ink-sac within the barrel of the fountain pen, I provide a liner or cradle support which may be substantially U-shape in cross-sectional contourpreferably made from a suitable form of plastic material-which cradle support or liner underlies the collapsible portion of the ink-sac longitudinally of the fountain pen barrel. This liner or cradle support may be held in position lengthwise of the barrel by means of a small lug or projectionron its underside which'lies in the annular groove formed in the barrel Wall and accommodating the wire ring serving as the pivotal support for the lever. To prevent lateral displacement of the cradle or liner, the spring operatively associated with the pressehbar mechanism has a rear curved end which lies in a recess at the rear end of the liner or cradle support; such spring being substantially of the same Width as the recess. l

These and other features of my invention are more fully set forth hereinafter; reference being had to the accompanying drawings, more or less diagrammatic in character, in which: v Figure lis a longitudinal elevation, in section, of sufcient of a fountain pen of the inkrsac type to illustrate the features of my invention; the parts of the presser-bar mechanism operable to eiect filling of the ink-sac. being shown in one position.

Fig. 2 is a simiiar sectional view, showingA the parts of the Ypresser-bar mechanism in another position.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line III-III, Fig. l. Y

(Cl. 1Z0-46) Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line IV-IV, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the liner or cradle support v for the ink-sac.

This invention, relating to fountain pens, has been designed more particularly for association with fountain pens having ink reservoirs in the form of collapsible sacsusually of rubber-and lever-operated presser-bar mechanism for collapsing or deflating such sacs to expel the air therefrom whereby, upon release of such collapsing or deiiatingmeans ink, from a suitable supply Yinto which the nib end of the fountain pen has been dipped', will enter the sac. In the manufacture of fountain pens great care is taken, when securing the ink-sac to the pen section, to insure that such sac is in proper alignment with respect to such section in order that when assembled with the barrel the ink-sac will lie, throughout its length, in substantially concentric relation with respect to the interior space of such barrel. It is highly desirable, in order that fountain pens of any given run of production may function exactly alike and may receive the same quantity of ink upon proper manipulation of the lever-actuated presser-bar mechanism, that the ink-sac occupy a position within the barrel that will permit proper engagement -of the presser-bar therewith. Notwith- 'standing the care usually exercised in the mounting of the parts and the assembly thereof into complete fountain pens, it has frequently happened after fountain pens were assembled under former conditions, that the ink-sacs were not always in alignment with the presser-bars for most efl'icient deflation. Unless the ink-sac is in exact alignment with the presser-bar, the latter willhave a tendency Ato push the ink-sac to one side of the barrel without proper collapse or deflation of the same, if at all, and hence, in the absence of the desired vacuum resulting from theexpulsion of air from the ink-sac, little, or no ink will enter the same. rlhe use of my im proved cradle or liner support underlying the ink-sac and disposed between the same and the inner wall of the barrel, will correct this con* dition. i For the purpose of positioning the ink-sac Vwithin the fountain pen barrel in order that it may be maintained inexact alignment with the` presser-bar, l provides liner element or cradle support arranged longitudinally within such barreland disposed between the inner wall ofthe same and the collapsibley portion of the ink-sac, which cradle or liner receives the inl;- sac and -supports'the same in concentric relation therewith and substantially axially of the barrel andin alignment with the presser-bar.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of a fountain pen which, while showing a portion of the pen section, omits the nib and feed-bar assembly as Well as the rear end of the barrel; these details being unnecessary to a complete understanding of the present invention. In this View, the pen section is indicated at II; the barrel at I 2, and the ink-sac-secured to the inner end of the pen section-is indicated at I3. While the ink-sac at its connection with the inner end of the pen section is concentrically disposed with respect to the barrel, the presence of the presserbar and its operating mechanism tends to displace the ink-sac out of exact alignment with the axis of the inner bore of the barrel. For the purpose of supporting the collapsible portion of the ink-sac in substantially concentric relation and axial position with respect to the fountain pen barrel and substantially filling the space between the ink-sac and the inner wall of the barrel opposite the presser-bar, I provide a liner or cradle support, indicated at I5. and which is preferably made of a suitable plastic material.

In the present instance the presser-bar mechanism is of substantially the same character as that ordinarily employed in fountain pens of the ink-sac type. This mechanism includes the presser-bar propel', indicated at I6; a spring Il connected at its forward end to the presser-bar, as indicated at |611, and a lever, indicated at I8, pivotally mounted on a Wire ring I9 which lies in an annular groove or recess I2a formed in the inner wall of the barrel I2. The rear portion of the spring I'i is curved at Ile, and its free end is brought forward and underlies the closed end of the ink-sac.

The liner or cradle I for supporting and positioning the inlr-sac is provided, intermediate its ends, with a lug or projection I 5a which lies, when assembled with the pen barrel, in the `annular groove or recess I2a of the same, and this serves to position the cradle or liner longitudinally oi the pen barrel. In order that the cradle or liner may be maintained in the desired position laterally with respect to the ink-sac, the rear end of such liner or cradle-Which may be said to be closed-is provided with a recess, indicated at lh, which receives the curved rear end I'Ia of the spring I', as illustrated in Figs. 1,2 and 5; the width of such recess being substantially the same as that of the spring.

Figs. 3 and l show the relative positions of the presser-bar mechanism with respect to the inksac in the inflated and deflated conditions of the latter. In order that the lever i3 may not pass the position indicated in Fig. 2, in the operation of the presser-bar mechanism to ll the ink-sac, the spring Il may be provided with a lug IIb, which lug may be' attached to the spring or struck up from the metal of the same; being shown in the present instance as struck up. When moved to its full extent, the end of lever will abut this Eug, and such full and single movement of the lever will cause the presser-bar to collapse the ink-sac substantially throughout its entire extent, as illustrated in Fig. 2; insuring displacement or the air Within the same so that ink mayV limitations, since modifications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of my invention; all of which is deemed to be Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. rI'he combination, with a fountain pen comprising a barrel, a p-en section secured to the outer end of said barreha collapsible ink-sac secured to the inner end ofthe pen section and arranged Within the barrel longitudinally of the same, and presser-bar mechanism for collapsing the inlisac including the presser-bar proper and a curved end leaf spring connected to and extending longitudinally of the presser-bar, of an independently removable cradle support disposed within the barrel and underlying the full length; ofV the collapsible portion of the ink-sac and into which the latter may be collapsed; said support being substantially trough-shaped with a ciesed end engaged by the curved end portion oi the leaf spring and being removable .independently of the presser-bar mechanism, the pen section and the collapsible ink-sac when the latter parts are separated from the barrel.

2. A fountain pen comprising a barrel, a pen section secured to the end of the same, a collapsible ink-sac secured to the pen section'and arranged Within the barrel longitudinally'cf the same, and presser-bar mechanism for collapsing the ink-sac including the presser-bar proper and a curved end leaf spring connected to and eX- tending longitudinally of the presser-bar, in combination with an independent cradle support disposed Within the barrel and underlying the collapsible portion of the ink-sac and into which the latter may be collapsed; said support being substantially U-shape in cross section and having a portion providing a seat for engagement by a portion Yof the curved end of the'leaf spring and eing removable from the barrel independently of the presser-bar mechanism, the pen section and the collapsible ink-sac when the latter parts are separated from the'barrel. Y K

3. The arrangement defined in claim l, with cooperative means between the pen barreland the independent cradle support for preventing endwise movement of the Ylatter when disposed within the fountain pen barrel. I

4. The arrangement defined in claim l, with a pen barrel provided with an internal annular groove and the independent cradle support having a projection intermediate its ends seating in said groove to prevent endwise movement of the cradle support when the latter is disposed within the fountain pen barrel. w

HENRY C. KLAGGES.

REFERENCES errno The following references are of record in the Larsen July 20, 193,7 

